The Angel Protection Program
by dancer.of.the.storm
Summary: Yes, it's true that most of the angels in the this world aren't perfect. Many are corrupted or lost, but what if there are Angels who were so completely pure that they almost don't understand the meaning of hate? What if these Angels live on in the human world? A human embodiment. What if there are forces hell-bent on corrupting them? Will they come to learn the meaning of hate?
1. Chapter 1: Grace

Grace's eyes flickered open; the darkness that filled the room was soothing, as was the gentle breeze smoothing cool air against her skin. Despite this, there was an aching, craving sensation at the back of her throat. She realised that it was her thirst that had woken her, and reluctantly pulled the duvet back. The warmth of the summer had swayed her decision to wear a pair of pale blue, silk shorts and a matching sleeveless top, which she adjusted as she slowly made her way into the kitchen. She fumbled around for the switch before flicking it. The whole room was plunged into a bright light, making her squint hard. It didn't take long for her to grab a glass and slide it under the water dispenser built into her fridge. The water was cold and indescribably refreshing, and gone within seconds. Unfortunately, getting up for the drink had woken her up a little more than she had hoped and knew there was no chance of getting back to sleep. 6:27am, the clock flashed at her from the dim light of her bedroom. 'Late enough' she sighed internally, heading into the bathroom. She was a stunning girl, not that she would ever believe it. Her fair hair was silky and swept just past her shoulders, and her eyes, like amethysts. They were the most intriguing shade of violet. She filled her cupped hands with water before splashing it over her flawless skin. Bang. Grace's blood froze.

"What the hell was that?" she whispered under her breath, her heart rate rapidly increasing. Time seemed to slow down and she could hear her breath so loudly inside her head. 1 second… 2 second… 3 second... 4… 5. Grace screamed. A figure had appeared in the mirror behind her; she spun round flailing at its tall, muscular frame. He grabbed her with a strong grip and she struggled furiously against it, more screams being ripped from her lips. She was in a state of panic and whilst struggling like she was, she could not catch a glimpse at her intruder's appearance. He yanked her back, dragging her out of the bathroom. By then, another figure had appeared. Grace's fear and panic caused hot tears to roll down her face. As well as that, a burning sensation formed at her core. The screams she now let out were not due to fear, but to pain. There was a flash that could have been perceived as bright, but the blast was jet black in colour. The two men were thrown back and Grace fell to the floor with an unmerciful force. Her head was spinning, but was soon corrected with adrenaline. She forced herself to shake off the pain and push herself up as quickly as possible. She bolted from the bedroom and began sprinting through the apartment, towards the front door. Bursting out into the corridor, she ignored the series of elevator doors she sped past. Cursing at the fact she was so high up in the building, being on the 19th floor, she began her decent. The steel stairs clanked loudly as she bounded down them three at a time.

Back in the bedroom of her apartment, the two men had risen to their feet, still utterly confused and in a considerable amount of pain.

"What was that?" one asked, looking at his friend with wide eyes. The other shook his head in response.

"I don't know" he said quietly, before swiftly moving over to the window. He strained to look through the inky black night. There it was, his fears becoming reality, a dark hummer pulled up across the street and was evacuated in the most disorderly manor, all inside keen to get at what they'd come for. "They're here" he said, turning and trying to keep the slight sense of panic from his voice.

"Find the girl, Castiel. I'll be there as soon as possible" the other demanded, swooping down to pick up the desert eagle he'd dropped in the blast. Castiel frowned,

"Dean, I don't want to split up" he said gruffly, taking a step towards him.

"Just go Cas" he yelled, then felt bad for snapping. "You have to protect her, I'll be fine" he added considerably quieter. Castiel nodded reluctantly, but as soon as he'd agreed with Dean he was no longer in the bedroom, but standing in front of the running girl. Grace skidded to halt, avoiding a collision with one of her apparent captors. She couldn't even comprehend how he had just appeared in front of her like that, but before she had the chance to begin, her mind was overtaken with the fear of the approaching figures. Castiel noticed that she was staring behind him, terror flashing in her eyes. He spun round with a blade in hand, one he had concealed until this point. The dagger slipped through the flesh of an impending demon. Grace cried out, the shock of witnessing such a murder hit her suddenly. Several more advanced on him, but he made light work of disposing of them. Suddenly, he was caught off guard, and dropped his dagger, which clattered to the floor. He resorted to pressing his palm firmly to their heads, squinting as they expired with a bright light. Grace pressed her back to the wall of the building as one of demons, who had slipped past Castiel's guard, slowly moved in on her. He came uncomfortably close and Grace squeezed her beautiful eyes shut as he dragged a cold nail across her cheek. He laughed quietly, sadistically.

"You have no idea" he began, brushing his bottom lip against her skin, "what the boss has install for you" he grinned evilly. Grace had held her breath as his was so foul. Suddenly, pain twisted through his features and he fell to the floor. Behind him stood Dean, Castiel's blade in hand. With the other, he grabbed Grace's wrist.

"Come on" he said, pulling her away from the wall. "Cas" he called to his friend, who was still deep in a heated battle. He caught Castiel's attention and threw the dagger to him. He could then concentrate on pulling out a small lighter and igniting it, before lobbing it through the window of the hummer. "Cas come on" he called, beckoning his friend to follow as he hastily led grace to their own car. Castiel made his last move, incinerating a possible threat, before heading after Dean. He threw himself into the back of the car, as he did, a huge ball of fire exploded into the night sky. Dean peeled away, the car letting out a reluctant screech as it was forced forwards. Castiel watched through the back window as the last of the demon dirty-workers were consumed by the fireball. Grace's heart raced exceedingly fast and she breathed raggedly in the attempt to actually breathe at all. There were still tears rolling unwillingly down her cheeks and she was terrified.

"Who are you people?" she stuttered, barely able to speak. "I said, who are you?" she demanded, feeling suddenly angry. Castiel turned to her, guilt evident on his face.

"I'm really sorry about this" he said quietly before placing two fingers on her forehead. She was unconscious instantly, slumping back in her seat.

"That was too close" Dean said, not taking his eyes off the road ahead. "The round up is going to have to proceed a little quicker than we had hoped" he added. Castiel nodded in agreement.

"How many are there?" he asked, looking over at the girl, sleeping peacefully.

"With her secure, they are three more?" he replied. Castiel almost didn't take notice, but the information went in distantly. He carefully brushed her hair from her face.

"What is her name?" Dean looked round briefly to put Castiel's question into context.

"That one's Grace" he answered, turning back to concentrate on the road.

* * *

Sam sat at a laptop, scanning through the list of information which had popped up. He selected the documents belonging to a girl named Rauna, pronounced R-or-na, as he also had to search. The document showed college applications, GSCE's, personal statements, job interview notes.

_A huge passion of mine is kickboxing, a hobby I was introduced to at a very young age_, she had written. She went on to describe how female kickboxing is an act against sexism and a huge confidence boost against gender discrimination, but Sam had what he needed and went on to study the location of the collages and work placements she had applied for. Chicago, which was where the boys were currently based… _Must be fate_, Sam laughed to himself, looking up at the heavens. He soon found a kickboxing class in the area _she _was based and found a picture of her on the website. She was with her claimed best friend, Ellie Cameira, who was another target of theirs.


	2. Chapter 2: The Kickboxers

"Tell me again," Sam began as he and Dean climbed out of the car in front of the academy, "Why we decided to pick these two up, in the middle of a kickboxing class." He looked to Dean. "You know, surrounded by a bunch of kickboxers." Dean sighed, shoving his keys back into his pocket.

"We don't have much time, okay" he admitted, trying to excuse the bad timing.

"What belt did you say they were?" Sam asked, the building getting closer with every stride. Dean was reluctant to answer, not wanting to put his brother off.

"Black belt, 3rd Dan" he muttered in response. Sam's eyed widened, but he said nothing. He had no words. Dean reached the door first, a heavy glass panel with a cold metal handle, and dragged it open. It was very clean and neat inside and filled with that faint gym smell. The walls were lined with achievements and awards, Rauna and Ellie appearing an uncomfortable amount of times. In front of them was a larger curved counter with a woman sitting behind it, interested in something on the screen of her computer. Her bleach blonde hair was pulled up into a messy top knot and she wore a navy t-shirt advertising the academy. Her makeup was very slightly over done, a girl with a little too much spear time. She noticed them approaching and smiled warmly.

"Hi" Dean smiled, flashing a row of white teeth, "I was hoping you could help me." The girl quickly finished off what she was doing previously before giving him her full attention, by leaning forward and resting her elbows on the counter.

"Certainly, how can I help?" she replied.

"I'm looking for Rauna and Ellie, they're in the nine 'o' clock class" he said. She searched for them on the computer in front of her and beamed when she had found the relevant information.

"Ah yes, Rauna Lakewood and Ellie Cameira. Are you the parents?" She question, standing up. She walked over to the door next to the desk and gestured for them to follow.

"Er… no, I'm Rauna's uncle and this is my nephew" Dean gestured to Sam, who smiled when she looked. "We're good friends with the Cameira's, and something's come up at home unfortunately and we need the girls" he continued. She smiled sympathetically, catching his drift, despite its lack of truth. She led them up a twisting flight of stairs and down a navy carpeted corridor, before stopping by large double doors. They could hear the loud activity from outside. Sam and Dean watched as she entered the cavernous room and made her way over to the Sensei. She spoke quietly with him and seconds later he beckoned the girls over and then they were following the woman back to the door. Rauna squinted her eyes suspiciously, not recognising either of them. She was about to open her mouth, but spotted the desert eagle that Dean's gaze had flicked to suggestively. His eyes then flicked to the woman who had led them out. Rauna was smart enough to understand her fate if she didn't co-operate.

"Uncle, what's going on?" she said with fake concern, playing along. Dean was impressed with her initiative, but didn't suspect she'd keep it up after they left the building.

"I'll tell you in the car, come on girls" he said sounding weary, all part of the act. Rauna gently bushed a finger against the side of Ellie's hand. They had been friends, quite literally, forever and had developed a bond which meant brushing her hand was like saying 'Follow them. Just trust me, I don't like this either, but we'll figure something out.' They followed the two strange men down the stairs, out into the lobby. The woman sat back down behind her desk and waved them off.

"Bye Becky" Ellie called back.

"Bye" Rauna added. They stepped out into the warm, morning air. The block of buildings, including the academy, backed onto the forest. Rauna hooked her ring finger round Ellie's middle one. The tiny gesture pulled her to the left, undetectable of course. Within in a few strides, they were out sight from anyone inside. "Run" Rauna whispered under her breath. Both girls burst into a sprint and crashed into the forest to their left. Dean and Sam turned on their heels, heading after the girls.

"Damn it" Dean cried, getting frustrated with this routine. After several minutes of running, the girls burst out into a clearing. The men were so close behind, they'd run out of time.

"Looks like we're going down fighting" Ellie said. Rauna nodded briefly before both prepared themselves. Sam advanced on Ellie, as she was closer, and Dean was faced with Rauna.

"Listen, we're trying to help you" Dean begged.

"Like hell you are" she retorted, "You threatened to shoot someone" she cried angrily. Dean had forgotten about that and, although he would have never done it, he was regretting implying so. He sighed, realising she wouldn't listen. He didn't know how close the demons were, and he'd just have to explain back at the safe house. Dean took a step forwards, but his head was suddenly whipped round. It took him a second to realise she'd round housed him, catching his jaw. _That's what you get when you fight a bloody 3__rd__ Dan_, he thought to himself. On the other side of the clearing, Ellie was fending Sam off. She threw neat punches so quick he was unable to dodge them. Luckily, she was fifteen and he was not. He wouldn't get as tired as easily and her punches didn't hurt as much as a fully grown, male demon. Though, she fought will an impressive amount of skill and force. She swooped low to the ground, swinging her leg in an arc and taking Sam's feet out from underneath him. He fell hard to the floor. She was suddenly on top of him, throwing consistent punches to one cheek then the other. Sam grabbed her by the waist and threw her to the side. Before she had a chance to react, he had her wrists pinned to the floor, either side of her head. No matter how hard she pulled against his grip, he would not budge. His pride was reclaimed and he could now look over to where his brother struggled to contain Rauna. Both were tired, both in a lot of pain, but neither giving up. Rauna uppercut him as hard as she could in the stomach and he double over in pain, but before she could remove her hand, he had caught it. He really didn't want to do what he was about to do next, but he had to remind himself that whoever wanted her would do a lot worse. He forced her arm up and spun it awkwardly. He winced as he felt it crack and she screamed out. Once he had let go, she fell back clutching her arm. No tears fell and no screams followed. Her years had made her tough.

"I'm sorry" Dean said, truly meaning it, "but you have to come with us. We can keep you safe" he pleaded.

"From what?" she growled through gritted teeth.

"It's a long story. We don't have much time" he said desperately. She looked to where Sam had Ellie pinned and the back to Dean. Possible solutions spinning around in her head. _But what if they were right? If they're were lying we'd escape, I guess_, she thought. Finally, she let out a frustrated, defeated sigh.

"Damn it, fine" she let out. Dean was so relieved.

"Thank you, let's go." He helped her up and Sam pulled Ellie to her feet. They hurried to the car and Dean helped Rauna in, as her right arm was completely useless. Sam reached over to do up Ellie's seat belt as Dean did the same for Rauna.

"Um, I know how to put a seat belt on" Ellie scowled, disliking that face she was being treated like a five year old.

"Not this one" Sam replied, making her look down to where he his hands had just fastened something. It was then she, and Rauna, noticed that the seat belts had buckle guards, meaning they weren't going anywhere. After making sure the doors were locked, Dean slid into the driver's seat.

"Hey, what is this?" Rauna said unhappily, tugging at the belt.

"Please, just try to understand" Sam said from the passenger seat. "We're not here to hurt you. I know this doesn't look good, but there are bad people looking for you. We're trying to protect you, and looking at your records you know what I mean" he explained, regarding their travel patterns that looked very similar to someone on the run. Rauna let her head fall back and let out a tired sigh. _He was right_. Dean looked at his brother, unnoticeably of cause, and was impressed. Suddenly, the radio switched on, _Dancing in the dark_ by _Rihanna_ began playing. Sam reached forwards to turn it off, but it refused to stop. He thumbed the button several times, still nothing happened. Then it suddenly occurred to him. He turned in his seat. "Who's doing that?" he demanded. Ellie pointed to Rauna, evading all blame. Her face was quite straight, but Sam swore he saw a hint of a grin lingering on her lips. "Come on, turn it off" he said, trying several more times to switch it off himself. He was getting increasingly annoyed.

"Come on dude, just let her do it" Dean calmed his brother. He didn't particular enjoy the music either, but he had just broken her arm and kidnapped her for all intents and purposes, so he owed he this.


	3. Chapter 3: Newcomer

The gentle hum of the car and the radio had been enough to lull Rauna to sleep. She did not dream of anything, but just watched a black screen as the time slipped away. She woke suddenly, eyes wide open, and gasping very slightly as she felt someone touch her arm. She was confused to see someone learning over her. She blinked hard, waking herself up. She then realised it was one of the men who now _looked after_ her and her friend. They had introduced themselves as Sam and Dean, before she had fallen asleep. She couldn't quite make sense of the situation, but at the same time, she didn't want to. Her past was all too similar to what the mysterious explanation of why they were there seemed to be. The truth was she was curious and it drove her actions. She was going to sit this one out, see where it went. Dean noticed her sudden alarm and pulled back, after unlocking the buckle guard.

"Don't worry, I'm just letting you out" he smiled. She quickly pressed the buckle and it popped open with a click. She climbed out of the car and looked over to where Ellie and Sam stood by the door.

"Home sweet home" Dean chuckled, "Kind of" he shrugged.

Grace sat in the corner of the room. The building was large and she felt if she crammed herself into a small corner, then it would all seem a bit more bearable. Castiel had left almost twenty minutes before, leaving Grace there on her own. He had assured her that she would be fine, but this had brought her little comfort. Suddenly, she heard the door open and every muscle tensed. Her heart began to race again and she was beginning to dislike the sensation more than ever. To her relief, Dean came round the corner. He flashed her a reassuring smile, having noticed her uneasy expression. He looked around after realising she was alone.

"Where's Cas?" he asked, dumping down his keys and pulling his jacket off.

"I'm not sure. He left about half an hour ago" she replied as she slowly stood up. She rubbed her hands on her jeans, a pair that he had bought her to replace the pyjamas she had arrived in. He wasn't alone, Sam entered the room behind him. Grace knew who he was; she had met him the night before. The two that followed were not familiar to her. The girls, presumably younger than her, looked very similar. Tall, dark haired, muscular yet still beautiful. There seemed to be only a few differences between them; one had a fringe, stopping just above her eyes, and the other's fringeless hair framed her face in loose waves. They both looked at her with dark eyes. "Grace, this is Rauna and Ellie" Dean said, pointed to the girls in turn. Ellie had the fringe. "Rauna, Ellie, this is Grace." The three girls exchanged weary smiles.

"Hi" Rauna puffed, studying Grace's features. Her exotic, purple eyes reminded Rauna of the uncomfortable sensation clouding her own. She had made the decision to trust these people, whether it was a good one, she didn't know. "You have a bin?" she asked, looking over to the boys.

"A bin?" Sam questioned. Rauna sighed, rolling her eyes.

"A trashcan" she corrected. Her English accent had become lost on her, through her time in America, but some words just came naturally.

"Ah, yeah sure" he suddenly replied, "Over here" he pointed to the small metal _trashcan. _He watched as she stuck her finger in her eye and he grimaced. Ellie and she carefully removed something from their eyes, and when she noticed everyone's expressions,

"Contacts" she stated, holding them up, before chucking them in the bin. Both girls turned, revealing their eyes. Dean began to notice the pattern; amazing, rare eyes. Ellie's iris was made up of so many different shimming colours, as if they were kaleidoscopes. The colouration changed in the light, shifting every time it was looked upon from a different angle. Rauna had eyes like ice: silver, grey and white. Also shimmering, glistening in the dim light of the room.

"Where's Cas?" Sam repeated Dean's question after noticing his absence.

"Don't know" Dean said simple, heading out of the room. Rauna suddenly felt a twinge of pain shoot through her arm; she had almost forgotten that she had it clutched close to her chest, but now that the adrenaline of the recent events had completely worn off, it was starting to hurt… really hurt.

Dean rummaged through the cupboards at the back of their maze-like safe house. It didn't take long for him to pull out a large box with **First Aid** plastered on the lid.

Back in, what they called, the living room, which was actually just a dark concrete room with two metal tables and a couple of chairs, he sat Rauna down and began working on fixing her arm up in a sling. She winced as he carefully manoeuvred it into place. "Sorry."

"So what is this place?" Ellie asked Sam. Grace, Sam and her had huddled on the other side of the room, giving Rauna and Dean some space. Sam looked around at the cold, almost bare, room around them. There was a parting in one wall that led off towards the kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms. There was a storage room at the back, but it wasn't big and, rather inconveniently, doubled as a panic room.

"This" Sam began, "Well, it's a safe house. We're not usually in Chicago, but you guys were here."

"There were go." Dean sat back, admiring his work. "Once again, really sorry about your arm." He suddenly felt guilty again. Rauna shrugged with her good arm.

"It's cool. Plus, it's not like this is the first time this has happened" she smiled wearily. Dean raised an eyebrow as he began packing the medical supplies away.

"When was that?" Rauna suddenly realised what she had said and internally punished herself for not being more careful with her words.

"Um, you know… kickboxing, things get broken all the time," it wasn't a lie, but her pain had come for much more than an unsuccessful sparing session. She didn't want to think about it and she certainly didn't want Dean to suspect anything, and so she brushed the feeling off. Luckily, he had accepted her explanation and thought nothing more of it. "Do you have a bathroom?" she asked as he stood up.

"Yeah, just round the corner" he replied, pointing. She quickly got up and hurried over to steel door set in the wall, around the corner. There was a metal toilet and sink, with a grubby looking shower in one corner. Over the sink, there hung a mirror; it was slightly clouded, but still usable. She made her way over, leaning on the sink with her left hand. She looked up, seeing a girl staring back that she almost didn't recognise. Her silver eyes looked deeply back at her, one's she hadn't seen in a long time. There was a crimson gash just above her left eyebrow, the blood trickling down onto her cheek. Her lip was split and swollen; it too was bleeding. Both small wounds were surrounded with deep purple skin, sore and shining. She looked around, before her gaze rested upon a paper towel dispenser. It didn't take long to grab a few and shove them under the cold water tap. She began cleaning away the blood, ignoring the pain as she did so. It took several minutes to make her face slightly more presentable. Her face was now sore and throbbing; she cool it off by filling her cupped hands with water and splashing it gently over her skin. She took a moment to relax, the recent events had been pretty hectic, but that moment was short lived. The sound of commotion reached her ears; voices were raised, footsteps were heavy and there was a sense of panic emanating from the next room. She emerged from the bathroom and hurried next door to see what was going on.

Rauna was in the bathroom, cleaning herself up. Sam had gone over to Dean to discuss their next moves, leaving Grace and Ellie to talk. The awkwardness caused their conversation to be nothing more than pointless small talk, but it was talk none the less. Unfortunately, it was interrupted with a loud, desperate banging at the door. Dean's head turned and he carefully made his way over. There was a gap, a sliver, in the door, allowing him to peer through and identify the guest. It was Cas, and he wasn't alone. Understanding Castiel's urgency, he yanked the door open and stood back. Castiel came crashing in with a young girl in his arms. She was still conscious, but in a lot of pain. It was then Dean noticed the blood staining her top around her stomach. More blood spewed from her mouth as she coughed and grimaced. Her breath was laboured and she was bleeding out. Dean recognised her; she was the fourth and final target: she was _not allowed to die._

"Put her on the table" Dean shouted. Sam was now also aware of the situation and swiped everything of the table, giving her room. Rauna emerged, watching silently as the chaotic scene played out in front of her. The girl cried out in pain and Dean offered a hand which she gripped tightly. She twisted on the cold, metal surface of the table where Castiel had laid her down. "Heal her Cas," Dean demanded. He nodded, but his expression was distant. He place a firm hand on her wound and she let out a small, weak scream. Seconds later, the wound was non-existent, as was the threat to her life. Her head fell back against the metal and she closed her eyes, falling into unconsciousness. Everyone breathed. Held breaths turned into sighs, and Dean willed his mind to stop racing. He turned to Castiel.

"What the hell happened?" He wasn't angry at his friend, just slightly shocked.

"The demons, they were closer than we thought" he explain, "they had already got to her by the time I was there. I would have healed her earlier, but I didn't have enough time."

"Well, she's safe now" Sam reassured. Dean place a hand over his mouth, dragging it over his skin as he processed what he had been told.

"Do they know where we are?" Castiel shook his head.

"I suspect not, but it would be advisable not to stay in this area for long" he said. All three of them knew it was just a matter of time before Crowley or some other demonic enemy came knocking at the door. The only way to protect the girls was to just keep moving.

"We'll rest up for tonight and hit the road first thing in the morning" Dean decided, vocalising his plan.

Rauna had slowly made her way over to Ellie and Grace, both looking ever so slightly traumatized. They looked at the girl who lay, unconscious on the table.

"Who is that?" Rauna whispered. Grace looked to her briefly, before turning back to the girl in question.

"She must be one of us" she replied. For a second Rauna was confused, but then realised she was referring to them being the one's protected by Sam, Dean and this new guy.

"And who's that?" She pointed subtlety to the man with the beige trench coat.

"That's Castiel" Grace smiled.

Lights flashed, strange shapes swam into view. The memory of the events running up to this came crashing into Tessa's head. Her eyes shot open and air forced itself down her throat. The gaping hole in her stomach ceased to exist, and she couldn't understand why. _Was it just dream? But then, I would be at home. Where am I?_ These thoughts spun around in her head. She opened her mouth to gasp, but no sound came out. Now, she was all too aware of the scene around her and that she certainly wasn't alone. Two men approached, hands out with calming gestures.

"It's okay Tessa" one said. Fear wracked through her body and the adrenaline began to pump through her veins, causing her to jump up and take up a defensive stance.

"How do you know my name?"

"We just want to help y-" Sam was cut off, when his head was forced round by her foot. Dean sighed.

"I'm getting really tired of this. Tessa calm down," he demanded, his tone frightening her. Both of them took a step forwards, but she ran towards them and fell onto her knees, sliding cleanly past them both. She didn't think, but just headed for the door. "I'm starting to like the idea of just leaving them to the demons." Rauna sighed, rolling her eyes at his comment as they were about to head out after her.

"Wait" she said calmly, stepping forwards. Dean, who was getting increasingly frustrated, gestured for her to go ahead with mock formality.

"Be my guest."

Tessa crashed through the forest. Her stomach hurt ever so slightly, but it wasn't enough to put her off.

"Wait," a shout rung out, echoing around the trees. The voice belonged to a female. It had put Tessa off, making her trip and fall. The girl, who the voice belonged to, caught up.

"Just stop," she said calmly, not even out of breath, "Look, I know you're scared, but you have to trust me." Tessa stopped and studied the girl.

"Why?" she replied angrily.

"My name is Rauna. Those two girls you saw in there, are Ellie and Grace; they're just like you. _I'm _just like you. There are dangerous men out there" she pointed to the darkness, "and they want to hurt you, _really _hurt you. The men back there, Dean, Sam and Castiel they want to protect us."

"How do you know?"

"Look, I admit I only met them this morning, but they saved me, they saved Ellie and Grace and they saved you too. You were dying remember," Tessa did remember, "you were dying and they saved you. I know it's scary and I know you don't want to be here, but if you leave you'll be dying somewhere and they won't be able to save you. Trust me, you have to _trust _me" Rauna said determinedly, holding out her good hand. Tessa reached forwards and took it, locking their grip.

"Okay."

Rauna hauled her to her feet. "I'm Tessa by the way" she said, brushing herself down.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Tessa" Rauna smiled.

The door clicked and edged open, Rauna and Tessa appeared.

"All sorted" Rauna grinned at Dean, who had calmed down now. He smiled thankfully.

"Welcome to the club" Ellie laughed from across the room.


	4. Chapter 4: Our Ability

Dean stood with both hands resting on the table in front of him. Spread out on the table, there lay an array of books, sheets, documents and pictures.

"What's all this?" Grace asked curiously, wandering over. Dean looked up at her, and the others who were slowly joining them.

"This, this is why you are here," he pushed a few of the sheets, revealing more underneath. "As you may or may not know, the angels in this world aren't always amazing at their job. Crap happens basically, but there _were_ four angels who never strayed from their position and are now regarded as pure. They were Lakesan, the angel of bravery, Cameira, the angel of confidence, Dallaire, the angel of love and Chandlin, the angel of hope. You are the embodiment of these angels; they ceased to exist in their original forms a long time ago, to protect the purity, but now live on within you. That is why you guys are at the top of most demons to do list. If they can overthrow the balance, then they have the upper hand," he explained.

"So what are we going to do?" Rauna asked, "It's not like we can just spend our lives running from them."

"Right now, there's not much we can do, but-" he trailed off, looking to Sam to finish his sentence. Sam stepped forwards, holding up one of the books that had been lying on the table.

"You are all the embodiment of an angel, meaning you have the unique abilities and characteristics, they've past onto you," he explained.

"Well who's who?" Ellie asked from the other side of the table.

"You may have noticed your surnames are very similar to the names of the angels" Dean began, "That was no accident." Dean was right, Lakesan – Rauna Lakewood, Cameira – Ellie Cameira, Dallaire – Grace Dalton, Chandlin – Tessa Chandler.

"And it hasn't gone unnoticed that you all have certain abilities, unlike other humans. I'm sure they have been a burden to conceal, but will serve you well in your upcoming survival" Castiel added.

"Wait. You guys have it too" Tessa said with a look of shock on her face.

"Have what?"

Tessa raised a hand, delicately twisting her fingers, making interesting patterns in the air. At the same time, every loose sheet on the table lifted into the air, dancing around in the illusory breeze. Every eye in the room widened and a few amazed laughs reached her ears. "Not exactly" Ellie smiled.

"Come on then Ellie, show us what you can do" Dean beckoned jokingly.

"I would," Ellie grinned, "but I'm too busy being you." Dean looked up to see himself staring back and gasped slightly. Then Sam stood there, who soon shifted into Rauna. "Come on Rauna" she nudged her original copy, "You're turn." Rauna laughed with amused distain. She punched her copy playfully, who turned back to Ellie with the impact.

"Well…" she trailed off shyly, looking to the floor.

"Oh come on" Dean encouraged. She looked up, grinning and turned to Sam. A sudden look of confusion washed over his features, before his hand raised and he slapped himself cleanly across the face. "You have got to teach me that" Dean laughed.

"Ow" Sam whispered, rubbing his cheek. "So what is that?"

"Influencing, I guess" Rauna smiled. She raised both hand and something amazing happened. Everyone in the room was surrounded by a glowing light, fragmented and sparkling like a primeval anomaly. Each aura a different colour, showing their emotions, mostly amusement at that point in time. "I can influence lots of things, radio's, TV's, people, emotions" she admitted, feeling slightly embarrassed.

Dean turned to ask Grace what her abilities were, but she was not there. He looked at Castiel urgently; Cas had his brow furrowed. He suddenly looked towards one of the bedrooms, as if he could feel her there, or hear her. He hurried off.

The room was dark, she had obviously chosen to keep the light off. She was hunched in the corner, by the window. The day had slipped into darkness over the last few hours and the dim light of the moon filtered through the glass, struggling to illuminate her. They were in a comfortable silence, neither one willing to break it. They remained like this for several long seconds, but then Castiel heard something. It was quiet and soft. Was… Grace crying? He stepped forwards, but she turned in an attempt to hide her face.

"Are you alright?" he questioned with concern. She did not answer. He placed a hand on her gently shaking shoulder and spun her round. She gasped slightly, but it was not of surprise, it was more like she had given up. The silver light of the moon, lit up her tear stained face. "Look," Castiel said, trying hard to comfort her, but not really knowing how, "I know it's hard when you're not used to this. You probably don't understand the situation as your life has been so different," his deep voice was full of innocent sympathy.

"It's not that" Grace cut in through her tears. He gestured to her.

"Please, enlighten me."

"I knew" she cried softly, a few more tears rolling from her eyes. "I knew" she repeated in a whisper, looking up to the heavens. "They didn't believe me. They said I was crazy," she looked back down to Cas, "They said I was crazy, Castiel. But here you are, and _you're real_. Finally, I know why my mother died, and I was right. It was all real." She cried slightly harder, through relief and closure. Castiel didn't quite know what to do, but he understood what she had said. Eventually, he let out a sigh.

"Come here," he pulled her close, wrapping her in tight arms. "It's okay now. I believe you," he comforted. They stayed, holding the embrace for what seemed like an eternity, before Grace gently pulled away. She looked into Castiel's liquid sapphire eyes.

"I'm so scared" she whispered. Castiel sighed unnoticeably.

"You don't have to be. Dean and Sam will keep you safe and I won't let anyone hurt you" he replied.

"Okay."


	5. Chapter 5: Road Trip

There were three bedrooms at the safe house; Dean and Sam in one, Ellie and Rauna in another and the last one was shared by Tessa and Grace. It's not like they would be used effectively, with Sam and Dean on look out, the girls not able to sleep and Castiel not actually being able to sleep; it made splitting up into separate rooms almost pointless.

"So what do you make of this all?" Tessa asked Grace, turning with her hands on her hips. Grace was closing the blinds, followed by thick curtains.

"What do you mean?" she replied, her voice straining as she reached over.

"Well, I get the whole trusting thing, but how much do you believe the angel business?" Tessa was pacing now, paying too much attention to answering her own question. Grace straightened up, brushed herself down and turned to Tessa, now with her hands on her hips.

"If you haven't noticed, we have abilities unlike any other humans. If that's as real as it is then why should this be any different?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right" Tessa nodded, agreeing.

A few rooms down the corridor, Dean and Sam sat discussing what they were going to do next.

"Well, we've got to keep moving" Sam stated. Dean rubbed the stubble on his chin, the other hand place firmly on his hip.

"I _have_ found a case-" Dean began, but was instantly cut off.

"Wait, what? A _case, _are you seriously thinking about cases when we have to protect these girls?" Sam questioned with disbelief.

"Oh come on," Dean smirked, but his expression soon became serious, "If we just stop hunting then people like Crowley will become suspicious, we have to act like none of this is happening, and plus its far from here, meaning we'll be moving away from whoever attacked Tessa and Grace." Sam looked at his brother, to the table he sat at, and then back to him. He sighed explosively, giving in to Dean's suggestion.

"Fine, we'll leave as early as possible tomorrow. Everyone needs their rest."

"There's no way I'm sleeping tonight" Rauna sighed, collapsing back onto her bed. The furniture in the room was sparse, consisting of no more than two twin beds. The sheets were rough and cold, but the comfort of taking the pressure of her legs made all other thoughts secondary to the feeling. Ellie looked at her and shrugged casually. Rauna looked at her best friend and took in the colour of her eyes. She had missed them so much; she remembered when they were young and alone and it was that colour that had set them apart from the rest of society.

"Why not?" It's not like we have anything else to do" she replied, already kicking her feet up and laying back. She closed her eyes and that was the end of it.

"Night" Rauna muttered quietly, sighing at her insomnious mood, before pushed herself up by the head of the bed and drawing her knees up to her chest. She was suddenly aware of something prodding her side and shoved a hand in the pocket of her jogging bottoms. She pulled out a small metal broach; the object had no significance, but she began twisting it between her fingers, being careful not to lift her broken arm, to keep herself occupied.

Grace's eyes flickered open as she felt a gentle hand shake her shoulder. She turned slowly, revealing Cas smiling wearily at her.

"Its morning, you need to get up now. We'll be leaving shortly" he informed, before turning and walking out of the room. His wake up call had left Grace slightly flustered and she quickly sat up.

"O-okay" she stuttered, adjusting her loosely fitted baseball shirt. She turned to Tessa, who was also just waking up.

"Where are we going?" she mumbled sleepily, rubbing her eyes.

"I don't know" Grace replied distantly, staring at nothing on the bedsheets in front of her.

In the front room Rauna was pulling on a denim jacket over her white sports top. Ellie sat at the closest table, taping her nail against the metal. Grace and Tessa emerged shortly after Castiel had left their room.

"What's going on?" Grace asked, looking at Dean, who was filling a large backpack. The sound of her voice made his head turn so that he was looking at her.

"Err… road trip" he smirked, "We going to travel away from the city. It'll be safer" he explained. The click of a gun turned everyone's heads and the girls watched as Sam loaded a gun and tucked it away. He looked up and noticed their expressions:

"Always be prepared" he smiled.

"Right" Dean said loudly, gaining everyone's attention, "You all ready?" He was met by several nods and made his way over to the door. It was bright outside as the sun began to seep over the horizon, the gravel crunched under foot and the air was tainted with the faint city smell and it became obvious when Dean drew a deep breath in through the nose. He pulled the car door open and gestured for Grace, who was standing close behind, to get in. She climbed in and instantly noticed that the buckle guards had been removed. Rauna, who was now sitting in the back of a second car, had also noticed this and felt a lot easier about traveling with her new acquaintances. Grace was soon joined with Tessa and they waited in a comfortable silence and Dean slid into the driver's seat and slammed the door shut behind him. The engine roared to life and Grace took a deep breath as they pulled out of the driveway. The trees rushed past fast enough to make Grace sick and she decided that looking out of the window wasn't the best of ideas and so she turned her attention to Dean.

"Where's Cas?" she asked, suddenly noticing there were only three of them. At that moment, he suddenly appeared between Tessa and Grace, making Tessa jump. Grace's eyes widened, but at this point she wasn't particularly surprised. Dean sighed deeply in the front, shaking his head.

"Cas, buddy, you _can _sit in the front you know?" he stated. Cas shrugged.

"I'm quite comfortable here," he replied with unintentional innocent. Dean kept one hand on the wheel and turned, resting his elbow on the back of the seat. He gave him the look. "Oh, okay" Cas mumbled. A second later he was in the passenger seat.

Sam drove along with Ellie and Rauna in the back of the car that he had _borrowed_. Rauna had wound the window right down and was enjoying the morning air dancing through her dark hair.

"So where are we actually going?" She questioned.

"Well, we're going to go hunt a monster… in Denver" he explained. Ellie instantly sat up in her seat, her eyes lighting up.

"Are you being serious?" she exclaimed, pushing herself forward in her seat.

"Unfortunately, yes. Now, sit back," he sighed, not looking away from the road.

"That's so awesome" Rauna added, just as excited.

"Correction, Dean and I will hunt a monster while you guys sit with Castiel and not get into trouble while we gone." Ellie huffed, falling back into her seat. "It wasn't my first choice, believe me."

The journey was long… too long. They were traveling from Chicago to Denver, and hadn't expected it to be quick, but Dean and Sam were tired and envied their sleeping passengers…. other than Cas, who was keeping Dean occupied. Sam, unfortunately, was not so lucky to have any company.

Dean sat staring ahead, only half concentrating on Castiel's aimless rambling. They had stopped for coffee almost an hour ago and it was honestly the only thing keeping him going at that point. Then suddenly… Bang. Dean was thrown out of his seat, Castiel lurched forwards encasing him in his strong embrace. Tessa and Grace were also forced from their sleep and thrown into the havoc of the wreckage. The glass shattered explosively, metal screeched in protest as the car was exerted from the road. Several meters back, Sam had the best view of the violent attack. He's car came to a screeching halt itself and he was out within seconds. His heart leapt as this scene was all too familiar too him. The noise and chaos was enough to wake the girls in the back, who quickly followed in suit. Dean lay limp in Castiel's arms, but as soon as he realised what was going on, he willed himself to move.

"Is everyone alright?" Castiel asked urgently turning to the girls.

"No" Tessa screamed in horror. She was looking across to Grace, who was lying unconscious. Bruises and scrapes littered her frame and blood stained her pale skin, pouring from her nose and from all the wounds where glass had pieced her limbs. Castiel's eyes widened as he stared at the broken girl. "Dean" Tessa screamed again. Dean spun round to see a demonic figure at his window, trying to force the car door open. He acted fast, flicking the door handle open and kicking it hard. The crumpled door swung out, knocking the demon of his feet. Castiel looked at Grace, contemplating whether he should deal with her or the impending knife wielders… _think Castiel…_ knife wielders it was.

Ellie pushed her leg up, ignoring the strain in her powerful muscles, and her extended foot caught the chin of an oncoming attacker. The blonde haired demon's neck snapped round with a sickening crunch. Sam was on the other side of the car, swinging a crowbar, which had previously been resting in his passenger foot well. It collided with the face of yet another perpetrator. Cas took up his traditional fighting style, pressing his hand firmly against the demons' foreheads. Moments later, every demon was drowned in a sparkling light, portraying their now constantly changing emotions. Cas watched as they stood, facial features shifting consistently. It was then he noticed Rauna standing a few metres away, her good arm raised. She was concentrating hard. Dean had also noticed her strategy and took advantage of the opportunity to strike the confused demons down. His blade, which had been adhered to his hip, slipped effortlessly through their flesh. With the help of the others, they were no longer a threat. Rauna struggled to maintain her hold and soon felt warm blood dripping from her nose. She became dizzy and several painfully slow seconds later she felt herself fall, but landed gently against Sam's arm. After steadying herself, she pushed herself up and nodded with appreciation. Cas took a deep breath, forcing his mind to stop racing. _Grace_. He rushed over and yanked the door open. He carefully slid his strong arms under her knees and frail back. He gently lifted her, wincing guiltily as the glass crunched. Within seconds, he had carefully laid her on the road, next to the car. He was quick to place a hand on her delicate cheek; the blood, bruises, abrasions, they were all gone. The glass the removed by an unseen forced and fell to the floor with a plethora of clinks. Grace's eyes shot open like springs and she gasped at spluttered in her new-found consciousness. Cas couldn't supress a sigh of relief.

"We need to leave now" Dean commanded, striding back to the car.

"Is the car alright?" Sam asked, looking at where it had been smashed up. Dean leaned in and turned the key. The engine started.

"Yeah it's fine." Sam looked at Tessa, who's knuckled were now a deep purple colour from the fight. He quickly pattered her shoulder, gesturing for her to go ahead.

"What the hell was that?" Tessa breathed, as her heart finally stopped pounding. Dean was speeding down the road now. Glaring hard through the windscreen.

"Like I said, you guys are wanted. More wanted then we'd thought, it seems" he replied. She sight sighed half-heartedly.

"Great" she whispered.


	6. Chapter 6: Saving Grace

The sound of crunching gravel reached Rauna's ears as she woke. A sharp pain stabbed through her neck causing her to sit up suddenly. Sam turned to her briefly, before concentrating on parking once more. Rauna blinked hard, focusing her eyes on the scene outside the window. She was met with a quaint cabin, like something you would see in a Christmas movie. The cabin was half swallowed in greenery and glistening snow; the only light was a warm orangey lantern swinging gently just outside the door. She turned to Ellie, who was still asleep and punched her lightly, before climbing out of the now-parked car. Ellie jumped and took a second to assess the situation, before joining her friend out in the mid-afternoon air.

"You okay?" Sam asked her as he approached them by the stairs. She nodded, still dazed by sleep. The others were close behind; Grace smiling at the picturesque scene in front of her. As someone who had gone from south east England to an apartment in Chicago, she had missed any sort of countryside sorely. Inside, it was warm and the air seemed to carry the sweet scent of pine. In one corner there was a rundown TV that you could almost feel sorry for, cornered by two sofa's, a paint-chipped coffee table and festive rug, that looked as if it had been knitted by someone's grandma. Closer to where they all filed in was a simple wooden dining set, a circular table and three chairs, and across from that, an average kitchen area. Other than the buzz of fridge, and infrequent sound of the snow sliding off the branches of the looming forest, there was little sound; the girl's couldn't decide whether it was soothing and eerie.

"Make yourselves comfortable" Dean almost smiled, dumping his bag down with a thud.

The events of that morning had soon been forgotten as everyone forced themselves to get past it and move on, concentrating on their current survival. They had reached their destination a little over thirty minutes ago and were now setting up in the warm, wooden lodge. Rauna was already feeling pent up, having thoroughly explored every room, escape route and hiding spot (a habit of hers) and found herself increasingly eager to explore the great outdoors. Sam and Dean, however, had other ideas; they both sat at the small breakfast table, sifting through a sea of documents and eye witness accounts. Ellie was in the corner, flicking through the three channels available on the poor excuse for a TV.

"Are you seriously telling me that we have to stay here with _this," _she explained, pointing at the dusty box, "as our only form of entertainment."

"Yes, we are" Sam said firmly. He didn't mean to be harsh, but it was important that they stayed safe. Ellie was quiet; she sank further into the couch and folded her arms, as fed up as everyone else. Tessa joined her on the couch and began filing through the array of magazines on the table in front of her. Suddenly, something on the TV caught Dean's attention; a news reporter was giving the latest information on a recent attack near a hotel in the town. Sam saw the look on his face and turned to follow his gaze. "Hey, can you turn that up?" he said, gesturing to Ellie, who had the remote. They watched for a few more seconds, before the woman on the screen ended with, "More on this story, after nine."

"Time to go," Dean stated, standing up and headed towards the door. Sam nodded, before grabbing his jacket and following behind him.

"Psst" Rauna hissed at Ellie from one of the many bedroom doorways, grabbing her attention. She gestured for her friend to join her and Ellie obeyed, quickly sneaking across the floor, watching Castiel who had his back turned.

"What?" Ellie whispered, creeping further into the dark room. Rauna moved over to the window.

"I've already checked, all the windows are looked, but this pane is missing most of its putty" she explained. Ellie shrugged, looking confused.

"Meaning?" Rauna rolled her eyes at her friend.

"Meaning," she repeated exaggeratedly, "We can get out idiot."

"Ooohh" Ellie replied, before smiling mischievously. 1…2…3 Rauna mouthed, not making a sound. She lifted her leg effortlessly, kicking out with all the strength that was expected of her kickboxer frame. The window pane flew out, landing on the white blanketed ground. As Rauna had expected, the glass was shatter proof and so it lay intact, while invisible against the snow. Suddenly, a noise coming from the door turned the girls' heads. Rauna winced as she suspected they had been caught by trench coat, but was supressed to be greeted by Grace and Tessa, who were intrigued by their schemes. Tessa noticed the gaping hole in the window frame and her flame-like eyes lit up further. The girls exchanged glances… and the alliance was formed.

Sam's hand pressed against the smooth wood of the door, calmly, slowly; he had done this so many times before. Inside it was dark, a dim orange light was all that illuminated the area they found themselves in. The bar was several steps away, the floor was decorated with tens of round tables, all occupied by wood and red felt chairs or stools. The whole building smelt like cheap bear and cigarettes. His gaze resting upon the sweet blonde, slowly wiping the bar, he made his way over.

"Can I help you?" she said with a voice that had been victim to too much abuse, making it harsh and cold. Sam ordered for Dean and himself and, although the movement was almost undetectable, he could have sworn that she rolled her eyes at his alcoholic requests. "Sure" she half smiled, before turning to carry out his order. Dean made himself comfortable on the stool next to Sam's, resting his forearms on the dark wood in front of him. Moments later, the girl returned with their drinks and placed them down with a clink. "I ain't seen you boys around, you new in town?" She asked, resting her palms on the other side of the bar.

"You could say that," Dean replied, "We're visiting for a while."

"With our girls," Sam added. The blonde raised her eyebrows in surprise and tried her best not to make assumptions. Dean stuttered, reading her expression.

"Er, we're brothers" he corrected. She nodded, changing her understanding.

"How many?" The boys looked at her blankly. "…kids" she added.

"Oh um, two each" Sam smiled politely, before taking a sip of his beer.

"All girls?"

"Yep, all four" Dean spoke, whilst his brother held his glass up to his mouth. "But they're angels really." He furrowed his brow at his comment, the ironic truth of his word hitting him only after his spoke.

"I bet," she grinned, "Where are your wives?" her curiosity continued and Dean began to wonder how long his patience would last before he could slip in a few questions of his own.

"At a spar, no doubt" Sam laughed, placing his drink back on its coaster. The other two laughed along. "Ladies weekend" he smiled.

"You must be such great husbands, getting the kids out of their hair for a while, wow."

"Yeah, we were going to stay in the hotel in town, but after hearing about what happened, I'm glad we didn't" Dean slipped in sneakily.

"I know right" she gasped in recognition of the situation. "Animal attack, I suppose. It's kinda scary though, knowing something like that could just… happen down the road, you know?"

"Can you tell us anymore about the situation, you know for the girls' sake"…

The snow on the ground sparkled in the evening light. Trees danced statically throughout the forest, filling it with timid shadows and beautiful twists and dazzling lights that filtered generously through the leafless, glass-like branches. Ellie stumbled aimless through the icy white powder, head titled back and eyes gazing up in awe and the dusky shining sky, cut open by the frosted trees. The others travelled close; Rauna up front, dancing freely and Grace giggling a few steps behind. Tessa laughed too when Rauna stumbled and almost fell. Their nipped cheeks glowed a peachy pink colour, hiding behind their icy breath and washed away by the shimmering glaze of their eyes and the snowflakes sleeping on their eyelashes; one falling every so often to delicately brush past their skin.

"Grace." Their wonderland was shattered by an almost familiar voice. Grace's blood froze with the ground beneath her feet as she slowly turned. There stood Castiel. In his trench coat. Not looking very amused. "Girls," he added.

"Oh crap, run!" Rauna cried. All four of them turned on their heels and began sprinting. To them it was a game, a fun moment in time worth laughing about. To Castiel, it was letting his friends down, letting his kind down… letting the girls down. In less than a second he had caught up with them, but then they were gone. This continued for several seconds.

"Enough" Castiel demanded, forcing them to come skidding to a halt. He drew in a deep breath, opening his mouth to speak, but before his could get a word out, he was cut off by a panicked scream.

"Castiel" Rauna screeched as something emerged from the new-found darkness and collided with his side, with an unmercifully force. He went flying and smashed into the thick trunk of a nearby fir tree; snow cascaded to the ground around him. The creature turned to the girls: its pupiless eyes glowed a deep crimson and it open its mouth, letting out an ear piecing screech and flashing several rows of knife like teeth. It appeared to have antler-like appendages, which was broken and jagged like smashed ice. Its large hand swung back, smashing into Rauna's abdomen. The wind was knocked from her as she was forced through the air. She hit the ground and skidding through the snow, letting out a pained cry as she landed on her slung wrist. Grace looked around frantically at the abused bodies lying amongst the white. Suddenly, her breathing laboured as a similar sensation to before force itself from her core. It hurt less than before, but still made her cry out, squeezing her violet eyes shut. The sound turned the creatures head and it looked at her with eyes belonging to a nightmare. It was about to strike, but stopped at glared at the wreathing girl. He turned. He left… running. Tessa hurried over to Grace, collapsing to her knees beside her, before clutching her shoulders comfortingly. Several meters away, Ellie was helping Rauna to her feet. Castiel was up and striding over to Rauna.

"I can heal that for you" he stated, reaching out his hand. She shied away, fear flashing in her eyes.

"No" she said quickly. He pulled away. Furrowing his brow, he wondered why she would reject such an offer and chose to deal with the pain.

"Okay," he agreed, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, but if that wasn't a demon, what the hell was it?" they walked over, joining the other two. Castiel shrugged.

"I'm afraid, I don't know. This is why you can't go of on your own, I'll let this slip for now because I'm just glad you're all okay."

The hotel loomed over the carpark, a centre piece to all the chaos. The area was littered with police vehicles, type and men milling around in uniform, either yelling orders into a workie torkie or getting fed up with the next man in charge. Sam and Dean swiftly climbed out of the car, now changed into smart suits and armed with their fake identities. They flashed them as they approached and the men let them through without a second thought.

"Who are you?" A gruff voiced ordered.

"FBI" Sam replied confidently. The man shook his head.

"Why the hell are they sending the FBI down here? It's a bloody animal attack" he said, the irritation was more than evident.

"Look, we're just as unhappy to be here as you. There's been some cases similar to this one cropping up and we've been asked to investigate in case there's a pattern" Dean explained, equally as confident.

"Cases? What is this, A Saturday night bloody drama? Go ahead" he gestured for them to leave his presence and they made their way over to the tape, which they ducked under effortlessly.

"Some people" Sam raised his eyebrows. Dean nodded in agreement.

The body had already been taken away for examination, but additional factors and evidence still remained at the scene. Sam pulled out his phone, taking pictures of tracks, a tuft of fur on a branch and a patch of crimson stained snow. He could see why it was a suspected animal attack; if he didn't know better he would have said they were right. "What are you thinking?" Dean looked over at his brother.

"I have no idea," he admitted, roughly pushing his hair out of his face. "I guess we should just get what we can from here and head back to research some more. We should probably check up on Cas and the girls." Dean agreed.

"Are you sure you're all alright?" Cas checked as they all filtered back into the cabin. He turned, locking the door behind him. Tessa saw this and shrugged.

"Come on, we're not that bad."

"This is not to keep you in," he began.

"It kinda is" Ellie chipped in.

"It is to keep that thing from coming in," he explained, closing the curtains around the room.

"Oh yeah, because a door and some fabric is gonna hold it, I feel so safe." Rauna slapped Tessa playfully as she wandered past the sarcastic teenager, before slumping down effortlessly on the sofa. A small cloud of dust puffed up from the ancient piece of furniture as she hit it. She grabbed the remote lazily and switched on the equally as ancient TV. The kitchen was old and shabby, the fridge never failed to buzz tediously and the cooker looked like something produced from the scrapheap challenge, but still Grace found herself eager to see what she was capable off using such poor equipment. She made her way over to the kitchenette and began gathering the things she would need to make her not-so-famous mac and cheese.

The TV screen was irritatingly bright amongst the darkness of the room, forcing Rauna to squint to concentrate on what it displayed. She wasn't the only one, Tessa too was both bored and irritated by the screens inconvenient luminosity.

"And we're here with Dr. Aldridge on our mysterious animal attack, Dr. Aldridge could you shed some more light on this current situation?" The news reporter began. Some dorky looking professor began rambling on about how this attack was most likely a bear due to the nature of the attack and the evidence that was left behind. Ellie looked towards Castiel.

"Do you think that was the thing that attacked us?" she asked curiously. Castiel concentrated on the screen for a second before answering.

"Maybe, it would make sense" he replied. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, making Rauna and Tessa jump. Castiel got up and a swiftly made his over to the door, taking the time to unfasten the numerous heavy locks on the door. Two familiar faces appeared and were eager to get in out of the cold.

"We all okay?" Dean said cheerily, louder than usual.

"Well not exactly," was the response he was met with. He raised his eyebrows at Castiel in surprise. "We were attacked out in the forest" he explained. It was now he could see the scratches on his angelic friends face.

"What the hell were you doing out in the forest?" Sam questioned. The girls sank a few inches into their chairs, except Grace who was still working on dinner.

"Well it wasn't because we broke the window and snuck out, that's for sure" Rauna said quietly.

"Okay, so you did _that_" Dean said, pointing at her but looking towards where he was about to dump his jacket down. "Attacked by what exactly?"

"Imagine a reindeer and an abominable snowman having one nasty baby" Tessa replied, shuddering slightly at the memory of its appearance.

"You that's what attacked the man down at the hotel?" Sam asked. Dean nodded, fitting all the pieces together. At this, Sam grabbed his laptop and collapsed onto one of the dining chairs. He threw the lid open and quickly pulled up the internet.

"Is this what you saw?" he asked, spinning the laptop round on the table's surface. The girls were met with a similar copy of the monster they saw and Sam received nods and a few mumbled conformations. He twisted the laptop back around and began to read aloud.

"In Inuit mythology an Ijiraq is a sort of shape shifter who kidnaps children and hides them away and abandons them. The Inuksugaq of stone allow these children to find their way back if they can convince the Ijiraq to let them go." He looked around the room, caught in an exchange of mutual glances, everyone now understanding the truth.

"Great" Grace was the first to break the ice. "Who want's food?" she added. Despite the snapping and fearful tension in the room, everyone was grateful for her statement.

It was now dark outside and the fire was crackling loudly in the living room. Everyone was huddled around it with one blanket between them all.

"So why did that thing kill the man from the hotel, if it's supposedly a kidnapper?" Rauna asked.

"He wasn't a child, I guess" Sam replied from the other side of the fire. She nodded in acknowledgement. "It's getting late though, you should get some rest and we'll worry about it in the morning," He added.

"Yes dad" Ellie grinned as they got up and made their way to their separate rooms.

Rauna lay in bed, the covers drawn up to her shoulders. She couldn't sleep, like usual. She gazed out of the window; a cool breeze coming from the gaping hole in the window frame washed over her. The stars seemed to drown in the gentle blank ink of the sky, yet all sparkled so beautifully above the trees. They were so safe up in the sky and somehow that made Rauna feel safe too… but just then, something caught her eye in the tree line. She sat up, suddenly alarmed and it was then she could make out distant screaming. She snatched her pillow from her bed and threw it at Ellie, who woke suddenly.

"Ellie" she hissed.

"What?"

"Get up." They both jumped out of bed and hurried out of the bedroom. Rauna pushed the door open to Grace and Tessa's room. It wasn't long before they were up and joined by Castiel who was never asleep in the first place. A loud bang on door, followed by screams of help, forced Sam and Dean from their bedroom. Sam forced the lock open and yanked open the door. It was the girl from before. The bar tender. Sam ushered her in and quickly fasten the door behind her. Tears streamed down her face, uncontrollably, unwillingly.

"What happened?" Dean asked. She shook violently.

"That thing, it's after me" she sobbed, no louder than a whisper. He took her shoulders comfortingly. A loud crash came from Rauna and Ellie's bedroom, causing the girls to scream and run further away from the door.

"How the hell did it get in?" Grace cried.

"I broke the bloody window, remember?" Rauna screamed as they rapidly backed away further. Three… two… one! Bang! It burst out past the kitchenette and into the living room. It roared, like a thousand nails being scraped down a board of metal. It grabbed the girl and she let out a plethora of screams, crying out for help. Sam swung at it with the baseball bat he had armed himself with and several deafening shots rang out as Dean fired his desert eagle, but… she was gone.

"What the hell are we going to do?" Tessa asked, looking around frantically.

"Going after that thing" Dean said gruffly. He began searching round for weapons and anything of use. Sam joined him.

"Grace?"…

"What?" …

"Where's Grace?" …

Castiel looked around the room, almost panic stricken. She wasn't there. She wasn't there. Without a second thought her burst out into the freezing cold and began trekking threw the snow.

"Castiel" Sam called out into the night after him. "God dammit" he cursed to himself.

Grace's breath quivered. She was terrified, but she had to do this. All her life she had been nothing but a get on and move on kinda of girl, nothing had mattered. This, this mattered… for once it wasn't just another task given to her so she could progress onto the next task and the next one, leading nowhere. That night, she was important, not her aimless road of task. She could live with that. She could die with that. She was so scared, but that was okay. Stumbling shakily through the snow, following the blood trail the Ijiraq had left behind, she came to a cave like formation. The ice was illuminated by glistening reflections, dancing like water and glass on the roof of the cave. She could hear the quiet, terrified cries of the bar girl and knew that if she was to do anything that night it was that _she _would save that girl.

"Hey" she cried, as loudly as she physically could. The monster turned, its red eyes beaming down; two red dots trailed across the snow and then across her skin, stopping in her eyes. "You don't get her" she called, "You get me" she tried her hardest to sound threatening. The creature roared once more like screeching metal, but this time she stepped forwards strongly, finally confidently. The creature was engulfed in anger and charged at her. It all happened so quickly. In a flash of bright light Grace had gasped and all the air in her lungs left her body in one breath. Her arms thrown back, she was suspended in the air, an antler of the creature twisting through her flesh, impaling her completely.

"No" Castiel screamed. He ran forward to reach her, but was frozen in his tracks; as was everyone else who had followed close behind. A tear rolled down the bar girl's face, _the girl had come to save her and it cost her life_. Grace's body fell and the crimson poured out into the crystal white around her. The light slipped too quickly from her eyes. The air got colder, bitterer and the world got a little darker. An angel. A child had gone. Suddenly, the snow around her began to freeze up and it spread, slowly at first but then faster. Castiel was free. He ran over to her side and collapsed to the ground. He cradled her, shaking her head to get any kind of response. Nothing. The others were free. The monster seemed to cry out in pain as the ice reached it. Castiel looked down and Grace's beautiful red blood was now as black as the night. The ice turned black, spreading like the first layer. It reached the monster and it screamed out as if the black as was like acid. Suddenly another blast like the one before, exploded from her chest; a jet black blast of light. Everyone had to shield their eyes, but when the cave was once again visible to monster was gone. It no longer existed a long side them. Grace's eyes shot open like springs and she coughed and spluttered as cold air forced its way down her throat. She was met with Castiel's worried expression. He smiled at her.

"My saving Grace" he whispered under his breath.

"Castiel" she whispered weakly. She looked around at everyone.

Several days later, they were gone. It was like they were never in that cabin. All that remained of them there was in the memories of the bar girl, who had sworn to secrecy. They had moved onto another place, and so it began. Here they were in a hotel of some sort, Grace wasn't concentrating in the car. She sat, twisting her fingers nervously as Dean paced the room. It was just them and Grace's heart was thudding. Dean stopped. He looked at her.

"I know this is hard," he begun, "but we _have_ to take about this ability you have? Do you have any idea what it is?" Grace sighed.

"I don't."


End file.
